GCSE English Literature

1. A Christmas Carol
The Ghost of Christmas Past

2. Starter Activity: what is a ‘stave’?
A stave is a set of five parallel lines
on which music is written. The lines
indicate the pitch of the music.
A stave is to break something by
forcing it inwards or piercing it
roughly.
Why did Dickens name the
chapters of A Christmas Carol
staves?
How do these
definitions relate to
the novella?

3. Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson…
 You will understand the structure
of the novella
 You will empathise with Scrooge

4. Task: Sympathy Graph
1. Take a full page of your
exercise book to draw a graph (X-
axis: Scrooge’s past, Y-axis:
sympathy).
2. As we read through Stave Two
track your level of sympathy for
Scrooge.
3. Each key event (point on the
graph) should be numbered.
4. On the next page, write a
sentence to explain the moment
and why you decided that level of
sympathy.
Note that we be doing this next
lesson: plan your graph size
accordingly!

5. Plenary Activity: Sharing Results
Think, pair and share your
results with your partner.
How well do they relate?
What are the major
similarities and differences?
Should our results all be the
same?
Author’s Craft: What is Dickens
doing to the reader’s feelings
for Scrooge in Stave Two? Why
create Old Scrooge and change
our opinion with Young
Scrooge?

6. Starter Activity: Hot-Seating Scrooge
Write three questions for Old
Scrooge (from Stave One) and
three questions for Young Scrooge
(from Stave Two) in the back of
your exercise book.
Be ready to take the hot seat or
ask a question!

7. A Christmas Carol
Little Fan & Fezziwig

8. Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson…
 You will empathise with Scrooge
 You will understand the character
and function of Fezziwig

9. Task: Sympathy Graph
Continue with your graph from
last lesson.
Remember to track key
moments of sympathy and
note why you made your
choices on the opposite page.

10. Task: Fezziwig’s Party Questions
1. How do Mr and Mrs Fezziwig treat
their workers at the end of the party?
2. Where do the prentices sleep? Why
does Dickens add this detail?
3. How does Scrooge’s behaviour change
throughout the party?
4. What is the ghost’s lesson for Scrooge
to learn?
5. Where do the themes of the
Christmas spirit and poverty appear in
the party scene?
6. What do you think Scrooge would like
to say to the clerks?

11. Plenary Task: Peer Assessment
1. Regardless of class, they “shake hands
with every person individually”.
2. The prentices sleep “under a counter”
to show their lives are ruled by money.
3. Scrooge begins to remember and
reconnect with his former happy self.
4. Scrooge learns that a little money can
make a big difference to poor people.
5. The poor, despite their circumstances,
are full of the Christmas spirit. Wealth
and happiness are not connected.
6. Scrooge is self-reflecting and would like
to make amends with his clerk, Bob.
Mark your partner’s work.
Check the content, but keep
an eye out for SPaG errors
too!

12. Starter Activity: The Useful Haunting
Read the persuasive speech, ‘The Useful
Haunting’. It tries to argue that the most
influential character to Scrooge in the
novella (so far) is Marley.
Highlight and annotate the following
persuasive devices in the speech:
Emotive language, evidence, direct
address, rhetorical question, rule of three,
repetition, short sentences and counter
argument.
How effective is the speech in your
opinion and why?

13. A Christmas Carol
Belle & The Engagement

14. Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson…
 You will be able to create a persuasive
argument for a character
 You will consolidate your knowledge of
Stave Two

15. Task: Persuasive Speech
With your partner, write a persuasive speech, in
the back of your book, that argues for Little Fan,
Belle or Fezziwig as the most influential character
to Scrooge in Stave Two. Use The Useful Haunting
as a guide. Be ready to deliver your speech at the
end of the lesson!
Include some of the following persuasive devices:
Emotive language, evidence, direct address,
rhetorical question, rule of three, repetition,
short sentences and counter argument.
Use the correct layout and pay attention to SPaG!

16. Plenary Activity: Debate!
I want to hear at least one argument for
each of the characters. Listen closely to the
pair speaking, as I may ask you to explain the
persuasive devices they used or to counter
argue their point of view!
Persuasive devices:
Emotive language, evidence, direct address,
rhetorical question, rule of three, repetition, short
sentences and counter argument.
Class Vote:
1. Which pair had the most persuasive argument?
2. Who is the most influential character in Stave Two?